NSW government awards $650,000 to University of Wollongong for hydrogen pipeline safety research

The NSW government has announced a $650,000 grant to the University of Wollongong (UoW) supporting research into hydrogen pipeline safety, mentioning the university as “the only institution in Australia” capable of conducting “this type of hydrogen pipeline testing”. According to a statement from NSW industry minister Anoulack Chanthivong (pictured) on Monday, the two-year research program…

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Nourish Ingredients, CABIO Biotech claim world first in precision fermentation fats Canberra-based food technology company Nourish Ingredients and its China-based partner, CABIO Biotech, have announced a major milestone. According to a statement on Wednesday, successful completion of the first commercial production of Tastilux, a “potent meaty fat”, is “a breakthrough in precision fermentation” and makes…

Gravitas Technologies awarded $1.6 million grant to commercialise “Vulloy” material

Materials engineering specialist Gravitas Technologies has been awarded a $1.6 million grant under the federal government’s Industry Growth Program, which the company says will accelerate the commercialisation and scaling of its Vulloy product. According to a statement from Gravitas on Tuesday, Vulloy is “an advanced high-performance material” with applications in sectors including defence, aerospace, and…

Scientists reviewed 7,000 studies on microplastics. Their alarming conclusion puts humanity on notice

By Karen Raubenheimer, University of Wollongong It’s been 20 years since a paper in the journal Science showed the environmental accumulation of tiny plastic fragments and fibres. It named the particles “microplastics”. The paper opened an entire research field. Since then, more than 7,000 published studies have shown the prevalence of microplastics in the environment,…

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Liontown Resources produces first lithium Battery Materials producer Liontown Resources has produced its first lithium spodumene concentrate at Kathleen Valley in Western Australia, following the commissioning of the wet plant and end-to-end operation of the value chain. The milestone marks the start of production ramp-up to nameplate throughput of 3Mtpa, currently expected by the end…

Australia needs large-scale energy production – here are 3 reasons why offshore wind is a good fit

By Ty Christopher, University of Wollongong and Michelle Voyer, University of Wollongong On the weekend, an area 20km off the Illawarra coast south of Sydney became Australia’s fourth offshore wind energy zone. It’s the most controversial zone to date, with consultation attracting a record 14,211 submissions – of which 65% were opposed. The zone’s declaration…

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Envirostream to recycle LG lithium batteries Battery recycler Envirostream has signed an exclusive three year agreement with LG Energy Solutions to recycle all its recalled lithium ion batteries collected in Australia. Envirostream, a subsidiary of Lithium Australia, expects significantly increased battery collection volumes equating to 140 percent of the company’s total in FY23. LG has…